Method of making hinges



June 11, 1-935. J. F. HINES METHOD OF MAKING HINGES Filed July 10, 1954 MW IIW Patented June 11, 1935 PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING H INGES James F. Hines, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to'Russell J. Hines, Lakewooi ohio Application July 10, 1

2 Claims.

The invention relates to hinges, and to methods for making the same,

Hinges available prior to the present improvements sag in use, squeak, rust, and their joints fill up with water and/or dust, because of imperfect fitting and excessive clearance between the hinge leaves and pins. The imperfect fitting and excessive clearance between the leaves and pins of usual hinges arises from the fact that the cost of and-the time required for manufacturing usual hinges according to usual methods so as to attain precision fitting and clearance between the hinge leaves and pins would be prohibitive. The objects of the present improvements include the provision of an improved hinge which is sagless, squeakless, rustless, and proof against the accumulation of water and/or dust in its joints, and which is adapted for economical and rapid' manufacture.

Further objects of the present-improvements include the provision of an improved method of making the improved hinge of the invention.

The foregoing and other objects are attained 5 by the improvements, apparatus, parts, combinations, sub-combinations, and methods which comprise the present invention, and the nature of which is set forth in the following general statement, and preferred embodiments of the im-- provements, apparatus, parts, combinations, and sub-combinations, together with their mode of use, and a preferred method of making the same, are set forth in the following description, and the improvements, apparatus, parts, combinations, sub-combinations and methods of the invention are particularly and distinctly pointed out'and set forth in the appended claims formin part hereof. The nature of the improved hinge of the present invention may be described in general terms as including a hinge pin which may be made of a length of round steel rod, preferably of a stock size, the ends of the pin being formed out of square. A shorter sleeve of preferably seamless tubing is rotatably located on the pin and may be of' brass or bronze'jand pairs of brass or bronze washers are located with the pin rotatably fitting in their central apertures; each pair beinglocated at one end of the sleeve with one of the washers in abutment with the adjacent endthereof.

The sleeve and washers are preferably provided, as by means of apertures formed in their-walls, with engaging surfaces, and the hinge leaves are cast of metal which may be aluminum alloy about the pin, sleeve, and washers so'that one leaf en- 55 gages the sleeve -and the inner washers and the 934, Serial No. 734,489 3 other leaf engages the pin and the outer washers.

The nature of the improved method for making the improved hinge of the present invention may be described in general terms as pre-assembling the pin, sleeve, and washers in their desired permanent locations with respect to each other, placing the pre-assembled pin, sleeve, and washers as a core unit in a mold having leaf forming cavities, and then pouring molten material having a lower melting point than that of the pin, sleeve, and washers into the mold cavities and about the pin, sleeve, and washers, and on cooling the cast material shrinks wax tight on the pin, sleeve, and washers, and forms the improved hinge.

For many purposes the material of the several parts of the hinge may be metallic, and the cast metal forming the hinge leaves preferably has a lower melting point than that of the metal of the pin, sleeve, and washers.

In the case of relatively large hinges, in order to attain proper cooling of the leaf material about the ends of the hinge pin, it is desirable to associate cores with the opposite ends of the hinge pin and to cast the hinge leaf engaging the outer ends of the hinge pin about the cores as well as the outer ends of the hinge pin; or to provide telescoping means in the hinge pin intermediate its ends, to permit it to contract endwise with the cast material.

Preferred embodiments of the improved hinge and of the pin, sleeve; and washer unit thereof, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the improved hinge with the leaves in closed position;

.Fig. 2, a plan view thereof with the leaves in open position;

Fig. 3, a longitudinal sectional on line 3-3, Fig.2; t

Fig; 4, a detached view of the pin, sleeve, and washer unit, with the sleeve and washers shown in longitudinal axial section;

Fig. 5, an end view thereof looking in the direction of the arrows 5-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, an'end view thereof looking in the direction of the arrows 6-6, Fig. 4; and I Fig. 7, a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a pin, 1 sleeve, and washer unit for a large hinge, with cores applied to the opposite ends of the hinge pin, and also telescoping means in the hinge pin, for permitting proper coolingand shrinking of the cast material forming the leaf engaging the outer ends of the hinge pin;

assure view thereof as H to similar parts l2 and I3 of the pin II are for the purposes of the invention preferably formed out of square with the cylindric longitudinal outer surface of the pin, as by diagonally cutting the rod from which the pins II are formed.

I A sleeve I4 rotatably fits on the pin I, and the sleeve I4 is substantially .shorter in length than the pin H and the end faces I 5 and I6 of the sleeve H are square with its cylindrical inner and outer longitudinal surfaces. v

The sleeve M has a plurality of engaging apertures ll formed in its tubular wall.

Sets of washers |8| and |l2, and "-4 and |8l rotatably fit on the outer ends of the pin II, the washers having the same external diameters, and having central circular apertures I! of the samediameters for rotatably fitting on the P and opposite faces of the washers |2| and |82 thrust abut against each other and the inner face of the washer |62 abuts against the end face l5 of the sleeve II, and similarly the opposite faces of the washers l8-4 and I 6-4 thrust abut against each other and the inner face of the washer |8-3 abuts against the end face l6 of the sleeve ll.

Each washer has a plurality of engaging apertures formed there Y The sleeve l4 and washers.|8|, l8-2, "-2,

and IH may be made of bronze in the hinge II,

and the sleeve I4 is less tubing.

The hinge l6 furthermore includes one-piece leaves 2| and 22 which may be made of cast aluminum alloy, and the one-piece leaf 2| includes a tubular portion 23 which surrounds the sleeve I! and engages the apertures ll of the sleeve l4, and the opposite ends of the tubular portion 22 abut the inner faces of the washers |62 and "-4 and engage the aperturzs 20 thereof.

The hinge leaf 2| furthermore includes a connector plate 24 which extends from one side of the tubular portion 23.

The one-piece hinge leaf 22 includes end caps preferably a length of seam- 26 and 26; and the end cap 25 surrounds and en-' gages the outer end of the hinge pin beyond the washer l 8| and abuts the outer face of the washer |6-| and engages the apertures 26 thereof ;tand similarly the end cap 26 surrounds and engages the. other end of the hinge pin I I beyond the washer |64, and abuts the outer face of the "washer IH and engages the apertures 26 thereof.

The hinge leaf 22 furthermore includes a connector plate 2! extending from-one side of-the end caps 25 and 26.

The connector plate 24 of the hinge leaf 2| and the connector plate'2'l of the hinge leaf 22 are provided as illustrated with apertures '26 where'- by the hinge leaves may be connected as by bolts or screws with the members or parts (not shown) to be hinge connected Bytlie hinge ll.

The improved hinge II, (in the smaller sizes) is preferably made by forming a core unit indicated generally by 26 in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and which includes the. pin II with the sleeve I6 and the positioned thereon in the desired permanent locations with respect to one another, each set. of

washers being arranged sc that the engaging apertures 26 thereof do not register with one another, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

5 The core unit 30 is then placed as a core in mold cavities of a mold, not shown, the cavities being formed to make the hinge leaves 2| and 22.

' Molten metal, as aluminum alloy'inthe hinge I0, is then poured into the mold cavities, casting the leaves 2| and 22, and as the metal of the leaves cools, the leaves contract and wax tight engagement of the tubular portion 23 of the leaf 2L is eflected'with the sleeve 14 and the inner washers |8-2.and' "-3, and similar wax tight engagement of the end caps 25 and 26 is effected with the end portions of the hinge pin H and their out of square end faces and with the end washers |6| and I84, the apertures l1 and 20 providing engaging surfaces for the cast material.

In the hinge ll the aluminum alloy forming the leaves 2| and 22 has a lower melting point than the hinge pin I and the Bronze sleeve I4 and the round washers l8-|, '|l'2, Ill-3, and |8|; and in any of the improved hinges of the present. invention, the melting point of the cast material for forming the leaves may be lower than the a melting point of the hinge pin, sleeve, and washers. Accordingly, when it is desired to cast steel leaves. a pin, sleeve, and washers of nickel iron may be used; and for malleable iron leaves, the pin, sleeve, and washersmay be made of steel.

' It will be understood, however, that the body of the metal in the hinge pin and inv the respective washers, is so considerable, as compared with the amount of cast material which may contact through the apertures with the bearing surfaces:

that the cast material'will chi-ll and freeze soquickly that it will not adhere to the bearing surfaces, even though the melting point of the cast material may not be lower than the melting point of the hinge pin, the sleeve, or the washers.

- In making hinges having pins not exceeding six inches in length, it may not be necessary to make any provisions for accommodating the shrinking of the material which is cast to form the leaves but in hinges having pins of longer lengths, it is desirable ifnot necessary to provide cores for crushing at the ends of the 'pin, or telescoping means interposed between the ends of the pins to permit a shrinking of the cast material, as illustrated in the modified unit 3| shown in Fig. 7. v

In hinges having pins from six inches to some twelve inches in length, mushroom headed cores 22 may be used at the ends of the hinge pin, which will crush when the cast material shrinks; and in hinges having pins with a length of from pin, sleeve and washer twelve inches and upwards, the washers may be spaced slightly from the ends of the pin and the pin may be madein two slightly spaced sections with a central telescoping pin and socket connection 26 intermediate the ends, which will accommodate the shrinking of the cast material as illustrated in-Fig. 7. The invention has been described more particularly with reference to hinges having all the parts made of metal, and the hinge pin will usual ly be made of steel.

Steel tubing and steel washers of proper thickness are preferably'used when the leaves are cast of grey or malleable iron or steel. Copper, brass or bronze washers, how-- ever, are preferably used when the leaves are cast of non-ferrous materials, such as hard rubber, glass, bakelite and the like.

it is also desirable to carbonize or coat the sleeve, pin, and washer unit with shellac, soapstone, or the like, to produce a tight fit when the leaves are cast upon'the unit. V

I claim:

1'. The method of making a hinge and the like which includes assembling a core unit including a pin, a sleeve rotatably located on the pin, the pin being longer than the sleeve and having ends extending beyond the opposite ends of the sleeve, and pairs of abutting washers provided with central apertures 'rota'tably fitting on the pin, each pair being located at one end of the sleeve and one 'of the washers of each pair'abutting the adjalcent end of, the sleeve, placing the core unit in a mold having one piece leaf forming cavities,

and casting one piece leaves in the mold cavities,

one leaf engaging the sleeve and the washers abutting the ends thereof, and the other leaf engaging the outer ends of the pin and the other washers.

2. The method of making a hinge and the like which includes assembling a core unit including a pin, a sleeve rotatably located on the pin, the pin being longer than the sleeve and having ends extending beyond the opposite ends of the sleeve, and pairs of abutting washers provided with central apertures rotatably fitting on the pin, each pair being located at one end of the sleeve and one of the washers of each pair abutting the adjacent, end of the sleeve, the pins, sleeves, and washers being made of metal, placing the core unit in a mold having one piece leaf forming gaging the outer ends of the pin and the other' washers.

, JAMES F. 'HINES. 

